The Durham Ox

View prices & book 9.5 127 reviews
Aerial view of the site
Aerial view of the site
Aerial view
Beer garden
Roaring fire
The cosy bar
Dessert at the durham ox
Fish and chip night at the durham ox
Homemade soup
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Aerial view
Beer garden
Roaring fire

  • Small caravan park behind a country pub in Thimbleby, Lincolnshire
  • Five minutes’ drive to the Wolds Wildlife Park; 40 minutes to Lincoln
  • Restaurant, bar and beer garden on site; shops five minutes’ drive
Fancying the idea of a few days exploring the Lincolnshire Wolds, but really don’t want to be cooking every day? Time to consider stopping over in the caravan park tucked neatly into leafy grounds behind The Durham Ox – a traditional country pub and restaurant in the village of Thimbleby. As well as being close to many big-hitting attractions like Lincoln Cathedral and Skegness, a stay at this quiet spot allows guests a discount on food when dining at The Durham Ox. Classic dishes like burgers and curry feature on the menu, along with fish and chips and lots of gooey desserts. In winter there’s a roaring fire in the snug, and summer sees the action move outside to the beer garden – you’ll just need to bear in mind that the pub closes on Monday and Tuesday. Small but perfectly formed, the caravan park has just a few pitches with electric hook-ups. neatly tucked into a leafy area in the grounds. If you should run out of any essentials, the market town of Horncastle is just five minutes’ drive away.

Campground type

Camper sites 5
RV sites 5
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • This park has no on-site toilet and shower facilities.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No cars/motorcycles at the site. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • No gas barbecues allowed.
  • No charcoal barbecues allowed.
  • No electric barbecues allowed.
  • If reception is closed on arrival: please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Languages spoken

English

Reviews

9.5

Overall rating from 127 Pitchup.com customers

  • 80%
    10
  • 3%
    9
  • 12%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 3%
    6
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    5
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 8
Peaceful

96% would recommend this campground to a friend

95% would stay here again

What customers say

This small, quiet campsite behind a friendly, traditional country pub gets rave reviews for its spacious spots, great pub food/drinks, and welcoming staff. It’s a good base for exploring, with Horncastle nearby. Most found it great value, despite some wanting toilets.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 13
Arrival date (latest first)

Excellent place to stop

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Lynn N.

Power optional grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked Absolutely fab place to stay! Beautiful pitches, the whole grounds are kept so well, there is just a 20 min walk into the town so location is spot on. The pub is lovely and the food delicious and HUGE portions! Jacqui is an amazing host and cant do enough for you. We will definitely be back.

Disliked Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great spot and lovely people…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 8
Anonymous

Power optional grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked Great spot and lovely people

Recommend to friends Visit again

A five star review is well deserved for this lovely pub/campsite

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Fiona C.

Power optional grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked We’ve just returned from a wonderful 5-night stay at The Durham Ox, and I can honestly say it’s one of the best campsites we’ve visited. The pitches are amazing large, immaculate, and well-kept with clean gravel. The whole site has such a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere, made even better by the beautiful pub attached.

We kicked off our first evening with the pub quiz nothing too taxing, just great fun and a perfect way to start the trip. We also enjoyed two incredible meals during our stay. The service from Jacqui and her daughter was second to none warm, welcoming, and nothing was too much trouble. The food itself was just perfect: generous portions, great quality, and full of flavour. My partner had the burger on one visit (and declared it the best he’s ever tasted!) and fish & chips on the next, both superb. I couldn’t resist having their fish cakes both times they’re that good! We rounded off with their lemon curd martinis a must-try indulgence of limoncello, spiced rum, and cream. Wow!

The location is perfect for exploring Lincolnshire. As keen cyclists, we made the most of the local routes a particular highlight was riding from Woodhall Spa to Lincoln to visit the cathedral. Skegness is also within easy reach if you fancy some seaside bustle, and Horncastle is lovely for a leisurely wander.

We’ll definitely be back thank you to everyone at The Durham Ox for a truly wonderful visit

Disliked Nothing !

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had a lovely stay. Small site friendly quiet just what we wanted.…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Diana C.

Power optional grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked Had a lovely stay. Small site friendly quiet just what we wanted. Nice country pub. Enjoyed our visit will be back.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Another great weekend at the Durham Ox, does exactly what it says…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Dean E.

Power optional grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked Another great weekend at the Durham Ox, does exactly what it says on the tin, lovely spacious pitches, super friendly staff, a great walk into Horncastle with its many bars and eateries, The food in the Durham Ox is amazing, granted it doesn't have any toilet/ shower facilities but that is more than reacted in the price, will be back again and again, Thank you

Disliked Nothing to dislike here

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location, great hosts and fabulous Cow pie.... Very dog friendly.…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Power optional grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked Great location, great hosts and fabulous Cow pie....
Very dog friendly.

Disliked In our case probably access to a loo as no mid cons.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent, spacious, clean and quiet site with level pitches.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Power optional grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked Stayed for eight nights at this lovely site. Upon arrival, we were given an information pack about the site and town maps and guides for Horncastle, Louth, Mablethorpe, Woodhall Spa, Coningsby and Tattershall. along with a booklet of seaside vouchers for attractions at Mablethorpe, Skegness. The pitches are spacious and gravelled and the site is quiet, clean and very well maintained. Fresh water, chemical waste and rubbish bins are all easily accessed. The Durham Ox is a lovey old pub serving good food and the staff are all cheerful and helpful. We had a full English breakfast delivered to our van one morning, which was very nice. Horncastle is a five minute drive away with it's many antique shops. There are many interesting and attractive places to visit in the area including The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this site and would have no hesitation in recommending it.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Peaceful site at a lovely English pub.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Power optional grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked The pub was fabulous. Very welcoming. We had a delicious evening meal at the pub. A nice quiet pitch. Convenient to walk into Horncastle.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Clean quite it was OK.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
terry c.

Power optional grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked Clean quite it was OK.

Disliked It would have been better if they had some toilet facilities.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very good will visit again

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Valerie M.

Power optional grass and gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked Peaceful pitch at a lovely old pub run by a mother and daughter team. Enjoyed an excellent evening meal in the pub which was discounted because of our stay. Had a lovely evening all round at a very fair price.

Disliked It rained !!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Peaceful

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transportation nearby

Type

Pub campground Tiny (1-10 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Location

The Durham Ox

Thimbleby

Horncastle

Lincolnshire

England

LN9 5RB

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

53.21301°N
0.13706°W

Nearest transport

Bus
0.9 mi Interchange Shelter
5.2 mi St Peter's Church
5.2 mi St Peter's Church
Rail
11.7 mi Metheringham Rail Station
14.4 mi Market Rasen Rail Station
15.3 mi Thorpe Culvert Rail Station
Airport
27 mi Humberside Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Basing yourself at The Durham Ox means bags of stuff for all the family to do. Scenic walks wend their way across the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and you can meander in the footsteps of Norse invaders along the Viking Trail from Horncastle (five minutes’ drive). If you’d rather watch someone else do all the work, catch the motor racing at Cadwell Park Circuit (15 minutes), or have a flutter on the horses at Market Rasen Racecourse (25 minutes). History abounds hereabouts; Lincoln (40 minutes) rewards your visit with a medieval castle and spectacular Gothic-era cathedral, while fans of aviation history can tour the Spitfires and Hurricanes at the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight Visitors Centre at Coningsby (20 minutes). Kids with you? Consider a visit to the big cats and bears at the Wolds Wildlife Park (five minutes), or meet some of the cute rescue animals at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park (35 minutes). You might get lucky and see seals basking at Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve (45 minutes), while seaside Skegness (35 minutes) is the place for funfairs, mini-golf and summertime dips in the North Sea.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Sutton-On-Sea 18.8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Mablethorpe Town 18.9 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Moggs Eye 19.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Anderby 19.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Chapel St Leonards 19.7 mi Sea GoodExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Lincoln Medieval Bishops' Palace 16.6 mi

Lincoln Cathedral 16.6 mi

Lincoln Castle 16.7 mi

Belton House 27.3 mi

Ayscoughfee Hall Museum and Gardens 29.6 mi

National Trust

Tattershall Castle 8.1 mi

Gunby Hall Estate: Monksthorpe Chapel 12.7 mi

Gunby Hall 13.9 mi

Grantham House 29.3 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Horncastle - Viking Way - Woodhall Spa 0.9 mi

SCRIVELSBY COURT 3 mi

Battle of Winceby, 1643 4.4 mi

Scamblesby - Belchford - Fulletby 5.8 mi

Snipedales - Ashby Puerorum - Hagworthingham Circular 6 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in Lincolnshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Durham Ox have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Durham Ox dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Durham Ox? Basing yourself at The Durham Ox means bags of stuff for all the family to do. Scenic walks wend their way across the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and you … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Durham Ox?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  9:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11:30 a.m.

    On arrival please park your unit as far to the left of the gravel area of your pitch as you can and 3 meters off the boundary fence, then check in at the pub.

    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Durham Ox? From $13.44 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.